BANGOR – The Rev. Kevin Loring, head of the Temple of Advanced Enlightenment, proposed Monday night that his church join with Bangor police and city officials to develop a plan to distribute medical marijuana to residents who have prescriptions for cannabis. Maine allows marijuana to… Read More

The Bangor Daily News reported on Nov. 21 that researchers in Poland have identified by DNA the long-lost remains of Nicolaus Copernicus. Copernicus, you may recall, was the 16th century mathematician who theorized that the Earth was not the center of the universe, but merely one of several… Read More

ORRINGTON – Nearly 100 ministers and lay leaders representing churches from Fort Fairfield to Richmond met Tuesday afternoon at Calvary Chapel to launch a biblically based opposition to same-sex marriages or civil unions in Maine. “We’ve been brought together by circumstance and the circumstances aren’t… Read More

BANGOR – Robert “Max” Pottle of Levant wasn’t exactly sure Sunday morning what Advent is, but he knew that at the end of it, “Baby Jesus is born.” The 6-year-old was one of more than a dozen children who gathered in the undercroft of St. Read More

BANGOR – Every Tuesday and Sunday afternoon the living room in the Rev. Kevin Loring’s apartment becomes a tiny house of worship. The head of the 3-year-old Temple of Advanced Enlightenment earlier this week stood next to a round table as five others sat on… Read More

This past Thursday, we all sat down with our families to engage in the ritual that is Thanksgiving dinner. There was turkey and mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. But this column, perhaps unfortunately, isn’t about food. This column is about family. Maybe there were parents… Read More

The Bible tells us we should “abound in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:7), so here are 56 things for which I’m thankful; one for each year of my life, in no particular order (except for the first). 1. My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, without whom I… Read More

CHERRYFIELD – First Congregational Church will celebrate its 175th anniversary with a traditional worship service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 30. It will be followed by a home-cooked New England boiled dinner and presentation on the history of the church at noon in the Fellowship… Read More

I’m not religious, but I’m spiritual.” It’s a phrase I hear more and more these days. What does it mean? Generally, it means the speaker does not attend church, but believes there is a loving God, and that there is life after death. Beyond that, there is often… Read More

ORRINGTON – The Rev. Carl B. Schreiber Jr. thought God was making a mistake when he was called to be the minister at East Orrington Congregational Church while still a seminary student. “There were so many more experienced people out there,” he recently recalled of… Read More

DEXTER – In the two years it has been in existence, the Christian Community Church has taken its name seriously. The members minister to the community through a prayer shawl ministry in which shawls are made for those experiencing tough times. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More

It’s the awareness, curiosity about, and acceptance of the “Other” that is one measure of a maturing Christianity. One such growing awareness was reported last May in the Vatican’s official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, with the pronouncement by the Pope’s astronomer, Jesuit Priest Jose Gabriel Funes, that aliens may… Read More

AUBURN – Ambassador Philip C. Wilcox, the 2008 Camden Conference presenter, will speak on “The Role of Religious Identities in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at High Street Congregational UCC, 106 Pleasant St. Convened by the High Street Congregational UCC and Temple Shalom Synagogue,… Read More

AUGUSTA – The Augusta First Church of the Nazarene is conducting a “Campaign for Christ” during the remaining election season. The church’s pastor, the Rev. Kevin O’Brien, and church board member David A. Knorr have led efforts to disseminate 2,000 palm cards and place about… Read More

BANGOR – The man Maine Episcopalians chose a year ago as their bishop presided Friday over the 189th convention of the Episcopal Diocese. Bishop Stephen Lane, 59, told the more 300 lay and clergy delegates attending the annual convention at the Bangor Civic Center that… Read More

The election is just a little over a week away and the political rhetoric is getting pretty heated. Some of that rhetoric is coming from the campaigns themselves. Much of it is coming from political pundits. Unfortunately, a whole lot of the worst of it is coming from… Read More

LEE – It has survived the Civil War, two world wars and a scandalous former minister, but Lee Baptist Church will celebrate its 150th anniversary this weekend, its pastor said Thursday. From today to Sunday, the Lee Road church will host a harvest supper, hockey… Read More

BELFAST – The Rev. Ann Kidder of Southwest Harbor, is serving as interim priest at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, Court and Elm streets. She will serve the Belfast congregation while it searches for a new rector to replace the Rev. Kent Tarpley, who left this… Read More

ROCKLAND – The Rev. G. Russell Miller of Cumberland, R.I., has been installed as the interim pastor at Rockland Congregational Church, 180 Limerock St. He will serve during the congregation’s search for a new full-time pastor to replace the Rev. Elizabeth Mauro, who left this… Read More

With the election fast approaching, I’m bombarded with TMPI (too much political information). Does anyone tell the truth anymore? Do they know the truth? Do they even care? I watched some of the second presidential debate and had to laugh. Moderator Tom Brokaw reminded both… Read More

FREEPORT – The Maine Council of Churches will celebrate its 70th anniversary at a dinner at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at the Freeport Hilton Garden Inn. Retired United Methodist Bishop S. Clifton Ives, who has worked with the council for more than 50 years,… Read More

BANGOR – The Temple of Advanced Enlightenment will hold a theological discussion on the religious and spiritual use of cannabis at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, at the Union Street Brick Church, 126 Union St. “We are working peacefully to educate people about spiritual use… Read More

WINTHROP – A Maine camp will be featured on this week’s episode of “Religion & Ethics Newsweekly” on Maine Public Television. Correspondent Ray Faw will provide a behind-the-scenes look at Camp Ray of Hope, a weekend retreat that helps grieving families cope with the loss… Read More

Dark-haired, 20-year old Katherine Buckley had decided to wear her white blouse with a blue serge jacket and skirt that night. But it didn’t really matter. What she ordered for dinner didn’t matter, either. She might as well have rung up a big bill and… Read More

BANGOR – Missionaries at home and abroad will speak tonight and this weekend at a conference at Columbia Street Baptist Church, 63 Columbia St. The Rev. Magda Aguirre, a professor at a seminary in Santa Ana, El Salvador, will speak at 7 tonight, at 9… Read More

GORHAM – The Maine Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will celebrate its 75th Anniversary during its General Assembly on Saturday Oct. 25, at St. Anne’s Catholic Church. The guest speaker will be Sister Mary George O’Toole from St. Joseph’s College. For more information or to register, call Donna… Read More

BANGOR – A St. John Valley native has been granted a leave of absence to “discern” whether he wants to continue to be a priest, according to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. The Rev. Michael P. Gendreau, 48, of South Portland will go on… Read More

BANGOR – Members of the First Church of the Nazarene this weekend will join 18,000 congregations around the world to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the denomination. Leading the 62-year-old Bangor congregation in worship at 10 a.m. Sunday at 1465 Union St. Read More

We can learn a lot about our society from watching “Lost.” This isn’t because “Lost” is some sort of deep, philosophical work. On the contrary, “Lost” is ridiculously shallow. It’s also ridiculously entertaining, and its shallowness is at least part of the reason. When “Lost”… Read More

ORONO – Colorful balloons and festive signs that declared, “Eid mubarik,” decorated the walls of the Islamic Center of Maine to mark the end of Ramadan. Worshippers gathered Tuesday morning to pray and celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the feast days that begin after a month of… Read More

Worshippers who haven’t visited Congregation Beth El in Bangor since the High Holy Days last year may not recognize the place when they step inside the synagogue next week. The sanctuary space is brighter, lighter and more welcoming, according to Rabbi Darah Lerner. The changes,… Read More

Is religion responsible, at least in part, for the ongoing collapse of the private financial sector in America? Unrestrained greed has proven once again that the “invisible hand” of unregulated economics is, if anything, the devil’s hand – justifying unbridled avarice as the scheming alternative to the generous… Read More

PORTLAND – A priest has been named to replace the pastor of parishes in Piscataquis County and Pittsfield who committed suicide this summer, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland announced Monday. Beginning Oct. 1, the Rev. Mark Nolette, 49, will serve as the administrator of… Read More

MILLINOCKET – St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 40 Highland Ave., will begin feeding the bodies and spirits of area residents Saturday when its Wellness Luncheon Program begins. The monthly luncheons will be held at the church from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the third Saturday… Read More

AUGUSTA – The project director of the American Life League will be the keynote speaker at the annual awards brunch of the Pro Life Education Association of Maine at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Senator Inn, 284 Western Ave. The deadline for reservations… Read More

HAMPDEN – The Community Church of the Open Door, 270 Main Road North, will offer the eight-week Alpha program, an internationally known course that is an introduction to Christianity, beginning this month. The Alpha Test Drive: Session No. 1 will be held at 6 p.m. Read More

BANGOR – Hammond Street Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, 28 High St., will mark its 175th anniversary at a service at 10 a.m. Sunday. The Rev. Susan Craig, associate conference minister, will deliver the sermon. Former pastors also have been invited to attend. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More

BANGOR – The vegetable garden at Graymoor Monastery in Garrison, N.Y., made quite an impression on Patrick Quinn when he was growing up 50 miles south in New York City. This summer, decades after the Winterport man last visited the Franciscan Atonement Friars, Quinn created… Read More

PORTLAND – The Right Rev. Chilton R. Knudsen, the first woman to serve as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine, on Saturday handed a shepherd’s staff – the symbol of the office – over to her successor at the seating and investiture of Bishop Stephen Taylor Lane. Read More

HOULTON – The elaborate garb of an Episcopal bishop can be confusing to adults born into the tradition, but children can be utterly confounded when confronted with a bishop in full ecclesiastical regalia. Bishop Chilton Knudsen found that out the first time she visited Church of the Good… Read More

I was thrilled to discover my column for this month fell on the weekend of my father’s birthday. I felt a tribute to him was in order, but how do you squeeze 79 years into 790 words? That’s 10 words per year, or 0.027 words per 28,835 days… Read More

PALMYRA – As patrons in this full dining room were being served a menu of chicken legs, boiled potatoes, green string beans and chocolate cake on a recent Wednesday, Herb Pearl, 54, shook his head. “I dunno how we do it, but we do,” Pearl… Read More

There is a funny, scary movie of a few years back that’s making the underground rounds these days. It’s titled “Idiocracy,” and though it’s a satire set some 500 years in the future, today that future seems right around the corner. (Warning: If you are put off by… Read More

BANGOR – Congregation Beth Israel is as old as Moses. The state’s oldest Jewish house of worship will celebrate its 120th anniversary at 7 p.m. Sunday with a sneak peek at a documentary made by one of its newer members. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More

PLEASANT POINT – The priest and the parish face a daunting challenge: Tear down St. Ann’s Catholic Church or refurbish it. That was the discussion Sunday as the Rev. Frank Morin met with a handful of parishioners to decide the fate of the little church… Read More

ROCKLAND – Seasoned members of the Rockland Congregational Church, 180 Limerock St., will serve as mentors in the Spirit Rock Children’s Program beginning Sunday, Sept. 7. “This is a very exciting development for the Sunday school,” Carole Hallundbaek, minister of education, said. “We have been… Read More

BAR HARBOR – Spiritual leaders and recovery advocates are collaborating to sponsor four workshops in September on centering prayer following the Rev. Thomas Keating’s visit in July. “Centering prayer is a method of refining one’s intuitive faculties so that one can enter more easily into… Read More

BELFAST – The Rev. Tom Ventura, pastor of the Church of the Holy Light at 96 Main St., has changed the format of the television program the church broadcasts at 8 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday on Time Warner Cable channel 2. In the past… Read More

One day a few years ago, I spotted one of the ugliest cats I’ve ever seen in my life. It was prowling near our property with an evil eye trained on our bird feeder. I said to my wife, “Look at that thing. It’s disgusting. It appears that… Read More

The Rev. Maggie Ingram is a better preacher sitting down than most ministers half her age are standing up. The 87-year-old evangelist, backed by the Ingramettes, is a better gospel singer, too. “We’re not perfect,” she told a crowd at the American Folk Festival on… Read More

As myth would have it, the dualism of the world became apparent with Eve’s decision to eat the fruit and “know” good and evil. Before then, Adam and Eve were covered by God’s grace so completely, they knew only good. They were whole and unconflicted. Read More

HOPE – Anglican bishops from around the world struggled last month in Canterbury, England, to overcome their differences and keep their worldwide communion from splintering. Unbeknownst to most of them, youth and adults at Camp Bishopwood, run by the Episcopal Diocese of Maine, were modeling how spiritually fulfilling… Read More

My wife – we’ll call her Fred – and I have been considering buying a house. We’ve saved up enough for a down payment and could easily afford the mortgage payments on an inexpensive suburban home. Even so, it’s probably not the most financially responsible option. I’m still… Read More

We’d lived in Washington County about a year, and I secretly wondered if there would be a church for my father, who’d retired from his pastorate in Franklin County. Dad had no doubts God would provide when the timing was right. When will I ever learn?… Read More

A fellow “Voices” columnist tweaked me a few weeks back for differentiating myth from story, when I defined myth as “deep truth.” In popular usage, of course, myth means a fictional story. But for me, myth is true – it’s a story heightened by the mix of historic… Read More

BANGOR – National recording artist Mark Harris, who was with the Christian group 4Him for 15 years, will perform a benefit concert 6 p.m. Sunday at Bangor Baptist Church on outer Broadway. Courtney Streb, a new artist, will open the show. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More

Good for you. Instead of swallowing two eggs whole, gulping down a few news bites on drudge.com, and rejoining the maniacal rat race, you’re actually sitting still for a few minutes, sipping coffee and taking time to read this column. Smart move. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More

BANGOR – The city’s Orthodox synagogue Saturday will hold an international seminar designed to help secular Jews become more observant. Aish HaTorah’s Discovery Seminar will begin at 11:45 a.m. with lunch at Beth Abraham, 145 York St., and continue through the afternoon. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More

What do sci-fi movies such as “The Matrix” and “The Thirteenth Floor” have in common with some schools of Buddhism and some fundamental Christian beliefs? It’s the notion that the world is not what we suppose it to be. To use another movie reference, it’s like an expanded… Read More

Maine’s two Episcopal bishops this week joined 650 other Episcopal and Anglican archbishops and bishops from across the globe as the Lambeth Conference opened at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England. The conference is held once every 10 years. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More

BANGOR – Neighborhood Church has announced that Josh Williams has been appointed to the position of youth pastor. He and his family moved to Brewer in March after several years of service in Horseheads, N.Y. “We are really excited to have Josh join us,” said… Read More

PORTLAND – Bishop Richard J. Malone, the head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, will lead English-speaking youths in prayer and reflection during celebrations of World Youth Day 2008 July 15-20 in Sydney, Australia. The world meeting of Catholic youths held every three years… Read More

One of the most fascinating aspects of the evolution vs. creationism debate is that most of the people who argue it, on both sides, are virtually clueless about the actual science involved. This shouldn’t be surprising, of course. Evolutionary theory is extremely complex and is fully understood only… Read More

PORTLAND – Allegations of sexual abuse against a Maine priest who committed suicide late last month will not be pursued further by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. The Rev. James P. Robichaud, 56, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on June 27… Read More

NEWCASTLE – The oldest continuing parish north of St. Augustine, Fla., and the first in the nation to be named for St. Patrick will hold its bicentennial celebration this weekend in Newcastle. St. Patrick Catholic Church will hold activities to mark the completion of its first church building… Read More

One of my favorite birthday cards came from a couple of friends awhile ago. It featured John Hancock, sitting behind a desk, quill poised over a blank parchment. The balloon over his head said, “Let’s see, now; is that ‘we the people,’ or ‘us the people’?” The inside… Read More

BREWER – Zach and Anna Trundy swore four years ago that they would never return to the former Twin City Motel after spending just one night there. It turned out not to be the kind of place where the former innkeepers wanted to celebrate their 22nd wedding anniversary. Read More

MADAWASKA – A local man Tuesday begins his two-year term as state deputy of the Knights of Columbus in Maine. Gerry Martin hosted the organization’s summer meeting June 20-22 in the St. John Valley. Local organization members from Van Buren, Caribou, Fort Kent, Grand Isle… Read More

NEW VINEYARD – A 10-year-old boy has won a trip for his family to a Colorado dude ranch next month by answering the question, “How does Jesus give light to everyone?” Stephen Brackley, a home-schooled fifth-grader born in Farmington, was one of 12 children around… Read More

ELLSWORTH – A high school classmate of the Rev. Barbara Clarke once asked her whether she belonged to “that holy rollers church that meets in the garage.” Taken aback, the teenage Clarke replied, “We’re not holy rollers, we’re Episcopalians.” googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More

BELFAST – Winter is coming and the Interfaith Fuel Fund is working this summer to raise money for what it anticipates will be a high demand for assistance from people having trouble paying for home heating oil. The fund, coordinated by the Greater Bay Area… Read More

How about joining a volunteer research team for the next 30 days? My work is in the theological field of apologetics and I could use your help as I examine the world’s sacred literature for cohesive themes that span long periods of time and involve multiple authors –… Read More

BLUE HILL – The Glorybound Gospel Jubilee will be held Thursday through Sunday at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds. This is the 10th year Rick and Retta Kelley of Hampden have organized the event that is considered to be the largest gathering of Southern gospel performers… Read More

It’s bad enough when authors who write about Jesus distort the biblical text, then hide behind the fact that “it’s only a novel, fiction.” With that disclaimer, millions of readers (and later, movie-goers) were persuaded by Dan Brown’s novel “The Da Vinci Code” that Jesus married Mary Magdalene… Read More

ROCKLAND – Adas Yoshuron Synagogue, 50 Willow St., will celebrate Shavout at 7 p.m. Monday. Shavuot is the biblical harvest festival that rabbinic tradition later associated with the revelation of the Torah on Mount Sinai. It is customary to read the Book of Ruth during… Read More

WINTHROP – The Balat Senter Worship Fest featuring six Christian bands will be held from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at the More to Life Campground on Lower Narrows Pond. Bands scheduled to perform are: Widow’s Mite, Atmoshphere A2, the More to Life… Read More

WATERVILLE – The 22nd annual Novela Symposium on Spirituality and Healing will be held Tuesday at Colby College. “Hands-on Spirituality: Clinical Approaches and Personal Resilience” will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Alumni Center and Diamond classrooms. Concurrent morning workshops will… Read More

PORTLAND – More than 50 people were baptized last month by Jehovah’s Witnesses at separate conventions held over two weekends at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Nearly 10,000 people from the Northeast attended the conventions held May 23-25 and May 30-June 1. The theme of… Read More

BANGOR – The 2002 film “Joshua” will be shown at 6 p.m. today at Columbia Street Baptist Church, 63 Columbia St. The movie stars F. Murray Abraham as an embittered priest and Tony Goldwin as a mysterious stranger named Joshua. Their lives collide in the… Read More

BANGOR – An interfaith special “Choosing to Forgive” will be aired at 11 a.m. Sunday on WABI-TV 5. The 30-minute documentary presents the idea of forgiveness from a religious and scientific point of view. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More

There are two interpretations of God’s reasoning in destroying the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah. The more commonly heard interpretation is that God destroyed the Sodomites for their, well, sodomy. After my latest column, in which I urged tolerance of homosexuality even among those who believe it to… Read More

PALMYRA – More than two years after its beloved church was destroyed by a wind-swept fire, the congregation of St. Martins Episcopal Church has begun the rebuilding process. It has been two years of worshipping in the church’s hall, a former Grange hall from the… Read More

PORTLAND – Two Roman Catholic priests who served in northern Maine and were previously removed from ministry for sexually abusing minors have been formally stripped of their authority by the Vatican, church officials said Friday. The Diocese of Portland announced that the Vatican imposed its… Read More

BANGOR – A handcrafted, Maine-made portable pipe organ officially will join its much larger and famous cousin, the E. & G.G. Hook pipe organ, this weekend at St. John’s Catholic Church on York Street. The Wissinger continuo organ will be dedicated in a sacred concert… Read More

I love to sing. I’m not particularly good at it, but that doesn’t stop me. My favorite place to sing is from a mountaintop; the song of choice, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.” I’ve belted it out from Baxter Peak, Goose Eye, Sugarloaf, Old Speck, Tumbledown and a… Read More

One of the most intriguing passages in the Bible concerns the reason for God’s destruction by flood of most living creatures on earth. For so devastating a destruction, however, the explanation given for God’s wrath seems far too brief. What on earth could make God so angry that… Read More

SKOWHEGAN – The newly consecrated Episcopal Bishop Stephen T. Lane will attend a joint service of Somerset County’s two parishes at 10 a.m. Sunday at the All Saints Episcopal Church, 169 Malbon’s Mill Road. The service will include worshippers from St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in… Read More

BUCKSPORT – If Sen. Barack Obama hadn’t decided to run for president, the Rev. Linda Smith’s sermon Sunday at Elm Street Congregational Church would have focused on the Trinity. Instead, she talked to her white congregation about racism. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More

PORTLAND – A Caribou native who has worked at a bank, video store and manufacturing plant on Friday added another occupation to his resume – Catholic priest. Robert Lupo was ordained in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception by Bishop Richard Malone. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More

John Daniel Ehrlichman was born in Tacoma, Wash., on March 20, 1925. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California and a law degree from Stanford University. For four years, he practiced private law. And then he met Richard Nixon. When Nixon won… Read More

PORTLAND – The question of public funding for students at religious schools was back before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court on Thursday. This time, the fight isn’t about school vouchers or payments made by the state to sectarian schools but over whether municipalities can reimburse… Read More

CALAIS – Just a month ago, the Roman Catholic Diocese in Portland announced changes to how its priests would minister to its Down East parishioners. On Sunday, more changes were announced. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More

BANGOR – Grace Evangelical College and Seminary is moving up and out of the basement space it has called home for the past seven years. The seminary has a purchase and sale agreement for a 1.8-acre property at 502 Odlin Road, south of Outer Hammond… Read More

The Christian Civic League is a group of fun-loving folks that just likes to praise Jesus, oppose casinos, and draft vitriolic anti-gay referendums, though not necessarily in that order. Actually, almost certainly not in that order. The league, after all, is much more of a… Read More